Essay Questions
mac1091
ALGUnitII--Adolescence.pptxUnit 2
EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADOLESCENCE
Unit II
Unit II (Early Childhood-Adolescence)
Early Childhood (2-7): Physical Cognitive & Socioemotional Development
Middle Childhood (7-12): Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Development
Adolescence (12-21): Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Development
The Adolescent years
Physical, Cognitive &Socioemotional
Adolescence Defined
Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood
Internationally, those who reach a certain age (often 18, though this varies) are legally regarded as adults and are held to be responsible for their actions. People below this age are considered minors.
Adolescence is approximately between the ages 12 and 21 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes
Adolescence in Western societies tends to be a period of rebellion against adult authority figures, often parents or school officials, in the search for personal identity.
The classification of a period of life as adolescence is a relatively recent development in many Western societies, one that is not recognized as a distinct phase of life in many other cultures.
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Adolescence
Adolescence is a relatively new concept in human development. It is marked by a degree of maintaining a childlike self while emerging into a young adult.
*My daughter holding a bear while reading a book~the right of passage.
Legal issues, rights and privileges
Legal responsibility for criminal action?
India – 7
Belgium – 18
Legal working age
Age of consent
Varies widely between jurisdictions
Age to vote
Join the military
Physical Changes During Adolescence
Adolescents develop physically at a rapid pace – dramatic changes in both height and weight
Puberty (the period where sex organs mature) occurs during adolescence
Puberty begins when the pituitary gland in the brain signals other glands in the children’s bodies to begin producing sex hormones at adult levels
Puberty begins earlier for girls – typically around age 11 or 12, compared to the average age of 13 or 14 for boys
Wide variations among individuals
Puberty in Girls
Menarche – the onset of menstruation
The most obvious signal of the onset of puberty for girls
Evidence has supported the fact that girls who are better nourished and healthier are more apt to start menstruation at an earlier age than those who are malnourished or suffer from chronic illness.
The onset of puberty has gradually happened earlier and earlier over the past 100 years.
End of 19th century – average age menstruation began = 14 or 15
Today – average age = 11 or 12
What are some factors that could have contributed to this pattern of change?
Puberty in Girls - continued
Development of primary sex characteristics
Development of the organs and structures directly related to reproduction
Ex: changes in the vagina or uterus
Development of secondary sex characteristics
Visible signs of sexual maturity that do not directly involve the sex organs
Ex: development of breasts and pubic hair
Puberty in Boys
Development of Primary sex characteristics –
Age 12 (on average) – penis and scrotum begin to grow at an accelerated rate (they do not reach adult size until 3-4 years later)
Enlargement of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles
Spermarche (1st ejaculation) usually around age 13
Development of Secondary sex characteristics –
Pubic hair, underarm hair, and facial hair begins to grow
Voices deepen as vocal cords become longer and larynx gets larger
Gender Gaps
Threats to Adolescents’ Well-Being
Obesity
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia
Dropping Out of School
Illegal Drugs
Alcohol: Use and Abuse
The Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Obesity
1 in 5 adolescents is overweight
1 in 20 is classified as obese (body weight more than 20% above average)
Reasons for obesity in adolescents the same as younger children, psychological consequences may be particularly severe during this phase of life when body image is of particular concern
Potential health consequences are more problematic for obese adolescents
Obesity strains the circulatory system, increasingly likelihood of high blood pressure and diabetes
Obese adolescents – 80% chance of becoming obese adults
Lack of exercise is one of the main culprits, particularly for females
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a variety of factors, including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues
Once started, however, they can create a self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. All eating disorders require professional help.
People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem over-whelming.
For some, dieting, bingeing, and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one’s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control.
Fun Fact: Nearly nonexistent in Asian and African cultures!
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Anorexia Nervosa has four primary symptoms:
Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height
Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat” even though underweight.
Denial of the seriousness of low body weight.
Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.
Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa:
Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure
Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.
Muscle loss and weakness.
Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.
Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
Bulimia
Bulimia is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating. Three primary symptoms:
Regular intake of large amounts of food accompanied by a sense of loss of control over eating behavior.
Regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, fasting, and/or obsessive or compulsive exercise.
Extreme concern with body weight and shape.
Health Consequences of Bulimia:
Electrolyte imbalances caused by dehydration and loss of potassium and sodium from the body as a result of purging behaviors.
Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during vomiting.
Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
Gastric rupture is an uncommon but possible side effect of binge eating.
Factors that can contribute to eating disorders:
Psychological Factors:
Low self-esteem
Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life
Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness
Interpersonal Factors:
Troubled family and personal relationships
Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings
History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight
History of physical or sexual abuse
Social Factors:
Cultural pressures that glorify "thinness" and place value on obtaining the "perfect body"
Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body weights and shapes
Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths
The Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders - Media images that help to create cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness are often acknowledged as being among those factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders.
Dropping Out
Half a million students drop out of school each year
High school dropouts earn 42% less than high school graduates
Unemployment rate for dropouts is 50%
Illegal Drugs
Recent annual survey of nearly 50,000 U.S. students - indicated almost 50% of high school seniors and 20% of 8th graders reported having used marijuana within the past year.
Why do adolescents use drugs?
Pleasant feeling (“high”)
Escape pressures/ aversive feelings
Thrill of doing something illegal
Peer pressure
Dangers of illegal drug use:
Addiction – many illegal drugs are addictive drugs – produce a biological or psychological dependence in users, leading to powerful cravings
Addiction causes physical changes to the nervous system
Dependency – adolescents become dependent on drugs and need them to cope with the stresses of everyday life
Drug use prevents them from confronting and resolving problems in their lives
Casual users may turn to more dangerous forms of substance use
Alcohol: Use and Abuse
Binge drinking
For men – 5 or more drinks in one sitting
For women – 4 or more drinks in one sitting
Facts about binge drinking:
Frequent binge drinkers are eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damage property.
Nearly one out of every five teenagers (16 percent) has experienced “black out” spells where they could not remember what happened the previous evening because of heavy binge drinking.
More than 60 % of college men and almost 50 % of college women who are frequent binge drinkers report that they drink and drive.
Binge drinking during high school, especially among males, is strongly predictive of binge drinking in college.
Binge drinking during college may be associated with mental health disorders such as compulsiveness, depression or anxiety, or early deviant behavior.
In a national study, 91 percent of women and 78 percent of the men who were frequent binge drinkers considered themselves to be moderate or light drinkers.
Consequences of Binge Drinking
Brain Effects
Subtle changes in the brain may be difficult to detect but still have a significant impact on long-term thinking and memory skills.
Research has shown that animals fed alcohol during this critical developmental stage continue to show long-lasting impairment from alcohol as they age
Liver Effects
Elevated liver enzymes, indicating some degree of liver damage, have been found in some adolescents who drink alcohol
Young drinkers who are overweight or obese showed elevated liver enzymes even with only moderate levels of drinking
Growth and Endocrine Effects
Drinking alcohol during this period of rapid growth and development (i.e., prior to or during puberty) may upset the critical hormonal balance necessary for normal development of organs, muscles, and bones.
The Dangers of Smoking: The leading preventable cause of death in the US
Cigarette smoking among adolescents is one of the 10 Leading Health Indicators that reflect the major health concerns in the United States
Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence produces significant health problems among young people, including:
cough and phlegm production
an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses
decreased physical fitness
an unfavorable lipid profile
potential retardation in the rate of lung growth and the level of maximum lung function.
An estimated 440,000 Americans die each year from diseases caused by smoking.
Facts about adolescent smoking
Each day, nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking; of these, nearly 2,000 will become regular smokers. That is almost 800,000 annually.
It is estimated that at least 4.5 million U.S. adolescents are cigarette smokers.
Approximately 90 % of smokers begin smoking before the age of 21.
If current tobacco use patterns persist, an estimated 6.4 million children will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.
According to a 2001 national survey of high school students, the overall prevalence of current cigarette use was 28 percent.
Tobacco use in adolescence is associated with a range of health-compromising behaviors, including being involved in fights, carrying weapons, engaging in high-risk sexual behavior and using alcohol and other drugs.
What about sex?
Curiosity—chief reason teens start having sex
Average age of onset for girls: 16; boys: 14
40% all females pregnant before age 18!
1/3 all abortions performed on teens
Higher rate of miscarriage
50% pregnant teens drop out of high school
1/3-1/2 of all sexually active teens don’t use contraceptives
1/6 contract an STI during teen years
Factors Contributing to Early Sexual Activity
Sexually active peers
Physically mature
Overweight teens have earlier sexual experiences (reach puberty faster)
Larger family
Older brothers and sisters who are sexually active
Lower academic aspirations
Doing poorly in school
Parental separation and divorce
HPV: More than you wanted to know…
Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). The virus infects the skin and mucous membranes. There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), and anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, and rectum.
You cannot see HPV. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.
Certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women.
Warts can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. Warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person. Or, they may not appear at all
HPV: More than you wanted to know…
Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer and other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis.
Cervical cancer does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. For this reason, it is important for women to get screened regularly for cervical cancer.
HPV is passed on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. A person can have HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sex. Most infected persons do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus to a sex partner.
Very rarely, a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery.
Genital Herpes: More than you wanted to know.
Genital Herpes - Genital herpes is a common, highly infectious disease caused by a virus.
It causes blisters or groups of small ulcers (open sores) on and around the genitals in both men and women.
It cannot be cured, only controlled.
Genital herpes is extremely widespread, largely because it is so contagious. Carriers can transmit the disease without having any symptoms themselves of active infection.
There are two types: HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus) and HSV-2.
Most genital herpes infections are caused by HSV-2.
HSV-1 is the usual cause of what most people call "fever blisters" in and around the mouth and can be transmitted from person to person through kissing.
Less often, HSV-1 can cause genital herpes infections through oral sexual contact. The genital sores caused by either virus look the same.
Identity Formation during Adolescence
According to Erikson’s theory, adolescents strive to:
discover what makes them unique and distinctive
identify their strengths and weaknesses
determine the roles they can best play in their future
Identity vs. role confusion (identity confusion)
Adolescents “try on” different roles
They seek to make choices about their personal, occupational, sexual and political commitments
Cognitive Changes: Adolescence
Capacity to plan ahead in a logical fashion
Systematic thinking
Combine ideas—can plan and organize more efficiently
Still has difficulty translating theory into practice
Multitask well (may appear unfocused, but can generally do two things at once)
Development of morality & empathy
Questions authority and societal standards. Why is this a good trait?
Re-emergence of egocentrism
Paranoia—imaginary audience
Principle of invincibility—takes greater risks
Apparent Hypocrisy—” I can do it but you can’t.”
Psychological Difficulties During Adolescence
Depression in Adolescence:
Everyone experiences bad moods and periods of sadness
More than 25% of adolescents report feeling so sad or helpless for two or more weeks in a row that they stop doing normal activities
Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Adolescents
Sadness or hopelessness
Irritability, anger, or hostility
Tearfulness or frequent crying
Withdrawal from friends and family
Loss of interest in activities
Changes in eating and sleeping habits
Restlessness and agitation
Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
Fatigue or lack of energy
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of death or suicide
Suicide warning signs in teenagers
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds.
For the overwhelming majority of suicidal teens, depression or another psychological disorder plays a primary role. In depressed teens who also abuse alcohol or drugs, the risk of suicide is even greater.
Teenagers who are depressed should be watched closely for any signs of suicidal thoughts or behavior. The warning signs include:
Talking or joking about committing suicide.
Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever”
Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more”).
Writing stories and poems about death, dying, or suicide.
Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury.
Giving away prized possessions.
Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good.
Seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves.
Sexual Orientation
One important aspect of adolescence is forming one's sexual identity.
All teens explore and experiment sexually as part of normal development.
This sexual behavior may be with members of the same or opposite sex.
For many adolescents, thinking about and/or experimenting with people of the same sex may cause concerns and anxiety regarding their sexual orientation.
For others, even thoughts or fantasies may cause anxiety. These feelings and behavior do not necessarily mean an individual is homosexual or bisexual.
Homosexuality is the persistent sexual and emotional attraction to someone of the same sex. It is part of the range of sexual expression.
Many gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals first become aware of and experience their sexual thoughts and feelings during childhood and adolescence.
Recent changes in society's attitude toward sexuality have helped gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens feel more comfortable with their sexual orientation.
Concerns about Homosexual/Bisexual Feelings
Despite increased knowledge and information, gay, lesbian and bisexual teens still have many concerns. These include:
feeling different from peers
feeling guilty about their sexual orientation
worrying about the response from their families and loved ones
being teased and ridiculed by their peers
worrying about AIDS, HIV infection, and other sexually transmitted diseases
fearing discrimination when joining clubs, sports, seeking admission to college, and finding employment
being rejected and harassed by others
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens can become socially isolated, withdraw from activities and friends, have trouble concentrating, and develop low self-esteem.
Some may develop depression and think about suicide or attempt it.
